Sparks
Sparks is an interactive installation presented at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto for Nuit Blanche 2016. The project draws on geometric patterns found in Islamic art and architecture, translating a two-dimensional arrangement into a structure that visitors can approach, enter, and change.
Nine connected modules form the installation. Each has a PVC framework covered with white spandex, which stretches across the members to create a soft, continuous surface. The fabric responds to touch and moves gently in the wind. During the day, its white forms register against the museum grounds through shape, texture, and shadow.
At night, an LED inside each module illuminates the fabric from within. Visitors were given remote controls to change the colors of individual modules, so the composition could shift through a series of choices made by different people. One visitor’s arrangement might be altered by the next. Light became a shared, playful way of engaging with the installation.
By allowing people to enter its structure, touch its surface, and change its illumination, Sparks turns a geometric composition into a collective spatial experience. Its form remains recognizable, while its color and the activity around it continue to change.
Project information
Location: Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Ontario
Event: Nuit Blanche Toronto, 2016
Project type: Interactive light installation
Structure: Nine connected modules
Materials: PVC pipe, white spandex, and LED lights
Dimensions: 14 × 14 × 8 ft
Project coverage: “Nuit Blanche 2016,” ARTORONTO